


periodic

by nex_et_nox



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Family Bonding, Gen, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 10:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11183400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nex_et_nox/pseuds/nex_et_nox
Summary: "Okay, it's movie time," Dick announced."No," said Jason, who was both concussed and drugged, blearily.Or: the Batsiblings gently bully each other into hanging out together. It's mostly Dick's fault.





	periodic

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [periodic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11826189) by [xiaomuecho](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiaomuecho/pseuds/xiaomuecho)



"Okay, it's movie time," Dick announced.

"No," said Jason, who was both concussed and drugged, blearily.

"Yep," Dick said, reaching to help Jason up.

"No," Jason said again, swatting at him. "I'm going to go back to my safe house and die in peace. _Away_ from the rest of you," he added pointedly.

"Sure, Jay," Dick said, ducking under Jason's arm and holding it in place over his shoulder. Cass supported Jason's other side before Dick even had to ask her.

"What are we watching?" Tim asked, trailing behind the two of them as they started making their way to the Cave's elevator.

"Dunno," Dick said. "You have any suggestions?"

"I'm going to shoot you in the face," Jason said.

"The new Star Wars movie just came out on DVD," Tim said at the same time.

Dick could _feel_ Jason consider this information.

"Sure," Dick said to Tim.

Jason didn't actually assent to anything, but he also refrained from making any threats during the movie, and he relaxed enough to fall asleep toward the end. Dick chalked it up to a win.

* * *

“I’m bored,” Steph complained, chin resting on her crossed arms. Across the table from her, Tim hummed but kept working at his laptop.

“Tim,” Steph repeated. “I’m _bored_.”

“I’m busy,” Tim said.

“Oh my god,” Steph said. “You’ve been working at that for like three hours already. Take a break.”

“I really need to get this done—”

“Steph’s right,” Dick said, looming over him from behind. He reached a hand over Tim’s shoulder and shut the lid of the laptop, barely missing Tim’s fingers. “Come on. We’re all going to go play a board game or something.”

“I don’t want to,” Tim said.

“Tough,” Dick said. He swept his gaze up and down Tim, judging. “I could probably pick you up and _force_ you there if it came to it.”

“I’d pay to watch that,” Steph said. Tim shot her a betrayed look.

“I’ll walk,” he mumbled.

When they reached the main living room, Tim was unpleasantly surprised to realize that when Dick said _all_ , he included not only Cass but also Damian in that count. Which Tim really should have seen coming.

“I changed my mind,” he announced, turning and making to walk straight back out of the room.

“Nope,” Dick said, grabbing him by the hood of his sweatshirt.

One small blessing was that at least he didn’t make Tim sit next to Damian. Tim could have cried from relief, especially when it turned out that the only game they could all agree on to play was Uno.

If Tim had had to suffer draw four wild cards from Damian, he was sure there would have been a murder.

* * *

Tim wandered into the living room, hoping there would be an empty couch to collapse on, only to see Steph and Cass curled up under blankets watching a movie.

Tim watched it for several minutes, but he couldn't figure out what it was. It was kind of familiar. Maybe. He was too tired to try to figure this out.

"What is this?" he finally asked.

"Mean Girls," Steph said. She tilted her head back over the couch's back to look at him. "It's a cultural classic," she informed him solemnly. "Cass needs to know."

"What...?"

"Are you watching Mean Girls without the rest of us?" Jason asked from behind Tim, who turned to see that his brother had an open bag of Chex mix in one hand and was – Tim watched for a few seconds – apparently picking out all the pretzels to eat first.

“Yep,” Steph said.

“Boo, you whore,” Jason said.

Steph let out a delighted gasp.

* * *

“[Sorry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorry!_\(game\)),” Cass said apologetically, sending Dick’s blue piece all the way back to Start.

“Oh, come on,” Dick said, staring at the four pieces sitting prettily in his Start circle.

“I will avenge you, Grayson,” Damian said, staring intently at the board.

“She’s almost in her safety zone,” Dick said glumly. “I think we’ve all lost this round, buddy.”

“This game is the worst,” said Tim, who, through the focused efforts of Damian, _also_ had all of his pieces trapped in Start.

“Sorry,” Cass said again, shrugging.

* * *

“My turn to pick the movie,” Jason said, dropping Dick none too gently on the couch. Dick let out a pained groan. Their other siblings filtered in behind them, in varying states of disarray.

Jason was going to _enjoy_ this. He just had to find a good movie.

He rooted around through the truly excessive collection of DVDs Bruce had.

“Oh my god,” he said, near reverentially, pausing at one as he caught a glimpse of the title. “Oh my _god_.”

“What?” Dick asked muzzily.

“Whoever bought this is my favorite sibling,” Jason said. “They win. That’s it. Competition over.” A beat. “Unless it’s Tim.”

“Hey,” Tim said.

“You can place at third if it was you,” Jason conceded.

“Seriously, what is it?” Steph asked, craning her head to look.

Jason held it up. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” he said, grinning.

* * *

“You want to play _poker_ with _Cass_?”

“…Never mind.”

* * *

Somehow movie night became a recurring event, with a rotating list of whose turn it was to pick. Most of the time the movie night was slapdash and only decided on moments before it happened, but it worked. They even all managed to be present most of the time.

Tim died just before his turn came around again.

In absence of anything else to do, the next movie night, they put on the last film Tim had picked.

“This is a good movie,” Steph said, roughly wiping away tears. Cass put an arm around her and pulled her close. On the other side of the couch, Damian was burrowed into Dick’s side, aggressively pretending he didn’t care. His white knuckles, wrapped in the hem of Dick’s shirt, gave him away. Jason was folded into an armchair, his face a blank mask as he stared at the TV.

“Yeah,” Dick said softly.

* * *

“We’re playing Never Have I Ever,” Jason said, setting a bottle of tequila down on the table.

“You, Cass, and I are the only ones over twenty-one,” Dick pointed out.

Jason pointed at Tim and Steph. “They’re legal in Europe,” he said. He looked at Damian. “He can have a Sprite or something.”

“Jason, we’re in the U.S., not Europe.”

“Well, it’s a celebration,” Jason said. He met Tim’s eyes, then glanced at a point beyond Tim’s left shoulder as he said, “Cause I’m, you know, kinda glad you’re not dead or whatever.”

A small smile made its way onto Tim’s face. “I’m game,” he said.

Dick sighed. “Fine,” he said. “Don’t tell Bruce.”

Jason grinned. “Margaritas good for everyone?” he asked the table.

Ten minutes later, after all drinks were made and all the rules explained, they started playing. It very quickly devolved.

“Never have I ever faked my own death,” Jason said challengingly to Dick, who grimaced and took a sip. “You, too, Timmers.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Tim said.

“Doesn’t matter, it was a fake death,” Jason said.

“Well, what about Steph?”

“Leslie says I flat lined a couple times on the table,” Steph said, looking slightly uncomfortable. “And, uh, I was in a coma for a while. She wasn’t sure I’d ever wake up. So.”

“It counts,” Jason said. “You’re in the Dead Robins Club, aren’t you?”

Steph grinned. “Yeah, I am.”

“Unbelievable,” Tim said, but took a drink.

“On that note,” Dick said. “Never have I ever _actually_ died.”

“Rude,” Jason said. He, Steph, Damian, and Cass all took drinks.

“Never have I ever made jokes about my death,” Tim said resentfully.

“Give it time,” Jason said, saluting him as he knocked back the last of his drink.

Steph took a drink of her own. “Dead Robins Club counts as a joke,” she said. “Damian, you have to drink, too.”

“Tt,” Damian said, but sipped at his Sprite.

Cass smiled slyly at them all. “Never have I ever,” she said precisely, “been a Robin.”

Everyone at the table groaned.

**Author's Note:**

> yeah, I mostly referenced Tim's not-death in Rebirth just so I could have them play a vicious game of Never Have I Ever
> 
> edit: it was totally Alfred who bought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies


End file.
